Living For You
by Heliotrope-Housecat
Summary: Scar related oneshot deathfic. Al gets his body returned to him but at a terrible price. Rated T for some gore. Tissue alert for emotional readers.


A/N: This is a one-shot fic I thought up while lying in bed unable to sleep a couple of nights ago. I don't know why I was thinking of the violent death of one of my favourite fictional characters while trying to sleep – I just did! It helped me get to sleep too. Why do I love causing pain to those I love in story form? Maybe I'm a fictional sadist… Please consider that when I thought of this story it was about 2am… damn insomnia. It's quite a sad story as well, so tissue alert for emotional readers. It's based largely around the manga, so Al is able to do transmutations without a circle and Scar is alive and killing. A random list of numbers indicates a break in the text. Italics are thoughts. All spelling and grammar is in the British form, so silent 'u's all round mwahahahahaha!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. The whole concept was thought up by the Manga Queen herself, Hiromu Arakawa-san (worships) and rights to the anime and stuff belong to Square Enix and related corporations. I just like to use their wonderful worlds and characters for my own amusement. This is a purely fan-made piece of fictional text. No profit had been made.**

**Living for You**

The alleyway was dark, quiet and undisturbed. The only sign of activity was a single black cat, prowling along the walls, padding silently along on its night time wander. The end of the alleyway was blocked by a rusting wire fence, which the black cat proceeded to leap deftly over and disappear into the shadows on the other side. No human had been there since Mrs Davis had put out two black bin liners of garbage that morning at around 8am. The time now was 10.30pm.

Bright red light illuminated the small space between the tall buildings as two figures came into view, one apparently chasing the other. The chaser was tall, skin olive tanned and eyes as red as blood, a disfiguring scar crossing over his eyes and obscuring much of his face. It was he who had produced the red light, slamming a muscular tattooed arm onto the building to his right, creating the lightning-like illumination which snaked along the walls chasing after its prey. The other figure was short, with long blonde hair which he wore in a braid. He was wearing a long red coat, which flowed out behind him like a cape as he ran. He skidded to a halt with a yelp as part of the wall collapsed in front of him, turning to view his pursuer, breathing heavily from running and a light sheen of sweat beading on his forehead.

"What do you want?" he yelled.

"I want you life, Fullmetal alchemist," replied the scarred man.

"Whatever did I do to you?" asked the boy. "I wasn't even part of the Ishbal war - I was just a kid at the time!" Edward Elric was 17. He had been in military service since the age of 12, when he had miraculously passed the state alchemy exam and been given the ironic second name of 'Fullmetal' by the Fuhrer. Now on the cusp of manhood, his main quest was still to regain what he and his younger brother had lost for their sins in the past. This was being made increasingly difficult by the Ishbalan warrior, hell bent on revenge against the military for what they had done to his people.

The scarred man targeted state alchemists. It didn't matter that Ed wasn't involved in the war over 10 years ago, or that he wasn't in the military for the status or the power or even that he could still be classed as a child in most societies. Even all his work for the good of the people was ignored. Ed was a state alchemist and was therefore fair game.

"The very fact that you use that blasphemous skill to aid the military is reason enough to destroy you," muttered Scar darkly. He started forwards towards the younger male, who looked desperately round for a means of escape. Behind him was the rusted fence and a pile of rubble from the wall, and there was no way he could slip past Scar in the narrow alleyway. The man was too fast, too powerful. He was trapped.

_Shit!_

Ed clapped his hands and rested his left hand upon his right wrist. There was a flash of blue light and the thin metallic blade of a short sword extended from his automail arm, shredding through his glove and coat sleeve. He crouched into a defensive position, preparing to fight to the death.

Scar thrust his arm at Ed, aiming for the face. Ed dodged it and Scar's hand fell forwards, hitting the fence and tearing several of the wires leaving a hole in the rusted trellis. Ed tried running round the man while his attention was diverted, but Scar span round and grabbed Ed by the hood of his coat. Ed yelled and ducked as the scarred man's tattooed arm shot over his head. He took this moment to kick the man in the gut, only he missed as Scar sidestepped to avoid his foot. This caused him to overbalance and he fell onto the hard tarmac floor. He could taste blood as he bit his tongue. He yelled again and rolled over as Scar hit the ground where his head had been.

"Dammit child – stay still!" growled Scar, glaring at Ed who crouched at the end of the alleyway.

"Like hell I will!" he replied, leaping at the scarred man, dodging the arm and attempting to punch the man in the face. Scar once again dodged to the side, grabbing the boy by the right arm.

_Oh shit – not again!_

Ed hurriedly clapped his hands together and laid the left one on his right arm before the scarred man could destroy it again. He changed the steel into another metal alloy, disrupting the older mans transmutation. This gave him time to struggle free.

Another figure entered the alleyway, his footsteps clanking as he ran. The figure was a large suit of armour, and would have been imposing if not for the fact that it housed the soul of a 16 year old boy. The boy was Edward's younger brother.

"Nii-san!" yelled the armour, bright eyes staring down into the alleyway at the sight before it.

"Al!" yelled Ed. "Go, run – get out of here!"

"Nii-san!"

Ed had been distracted by the appearance of his younger sibling, turning his attention briefly from the scarred Ishbalan he was fighting. This mistake proved to be deadly, as Scar took the opportunity to thrust his arm at the small of Ed's back. There was a flash of red and Ed screamed loudly in pain as the transmutation ripped through his body. A gaping wound appeared in his lower torso, the force of the transmutation exploding forward and spraying copious amounts of blood and other bodily fluids onto the alley floor. He made a horrible gagging noise, vomiting up a large amount of blood which splattered to the ground and stained his front, before collapsing limply forwards on the concrete.

"NII-SAN!!!" cried Al, voice cracking with fear, worry and anger. "YOU BASTARD!" He yelled at Scar, voice wavering. "I'LL KILL YOU!"

Al clapped his hands together in the manner of his brother and his teacher before him, slamming them onto the ground and causing the floor around the Ishbalan to erupt into numerous spikes, which the man dodged. He leapt up and over the wire mesh fence with the agility of a fox, using the floor spikes like a staircase and landing cat-like on the other side. He glanced round at Al briefly, wearing an unreadable expression which could have been either annoyance at being disturbed or maybe even pity for the younger of the Elric brothers. Then he disappeared into the darkness of the night, his murderous deed complete.

"Nii-san!" cried Al, falling to his knees next to his older sibling, who lay on the cold tarmac floor making unpleasant sounding gurgling noises as he choked on his own blood, struggling to breathe and obviously in agony. Al cradled him in his arms, holding his head up to help clear the airway. A small dribble of blood leaked from the corner of his mouth and made its slow journey over his chin and down his neck. Ed opened his eyes and looked up at his younger brother, the golden colour dulled with pain and the pupils dilated as he tried to focus.

"Al…" he whispered, his voice faint. "Al, promise me you won't try and bring me back."

"What? Nii-san, don't say things like that! You'll live Nii-san, it'll be alright – I'll get help…" the voice coming out of the armour was choked, as if the boy was crying. It was harsh that the armour was unable to smile or cry or feel pain. Dry sobs echoed within the hollow shell.

"No… Al… This is the end for me… promise me…"

"I promise Nii-san…" sobbed Al.

"Al… my time is up but… you can still live… Al, your body… your body is inside the gate…" Ed coughed lightly, some more blood dribbling out from the corner of his lips. "Al… you need… passage fee…"

"Nii-san, what are you saying?" Al was confused. What did his brother mean by a passage fee? The last time they had seen the gate they had committed human transmutation, and the fee had been their own flesh. Al had lost his body and Ed his right arm and left leg.

"Al… use me… as a passage fee… to regain your body…"

"Nii-san!" He was shocked Ed would even suggest such a thing. They had promised each other they would regain their bodies together.

"I'm dying Al. At least fulfil my dream of seeing you whole again… of seeing you smile…" Ed smiled weakly as he looked up into his brother's glowing eyes within the helmet. "It's my fault you're like this… at least allow me to rectify my mistake… I promised you I'd restore you… this is the only way…" He coughed again, body shaking from blood loss, pain and fatigue.

"Nii-san…" whimpered the armour. "Don't leave me alone Nii-san, I can't live without you! I love you…"

"Go back to Risembool… you'll be happy there…" Ed winced, gasping at the pain. "Al… do it… do it now… transmute me… become whole and live a happy life… live for me…"

"Nii-san…"

"Al… please… do this for me… as my dying wish…"

"Nii-san…" the armour sobbed, cradling the limp form close in a farewell hug. "I'll miss you, Nii-san." Ed used the last of his strength to raise his left arm to caress the helmet of the armour, his breathing ragged and light.

"I'll miss you too Al," he whispered.

Al lay his brother carefully back onto the tarmac and clapped his hands together again. He lay them upon the broken form before him, hollow body shaking with unshed tears and sadness. There was a glow of blue light, which engulfed the two boys in its brilliance.

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Al found himself in front of a giant concrete structure covered in carvings of humans and runic inscriptions. The gate opened, the eye of knowledge staring out from the abyss. Hundreds of tiny black hands snaked out and grabbed both him and his brother, pulling them inside to the sound of children's laughter. He saw flickering visions as he was pulled inside, the truth of alchemy and of the world. He saw his brother, suspended by the hands and being torn away from him forever. Ed looked at him one final time.

"Goodbye Al… I love you…" he whispered, his quiet voice carrying above the noise of the unpleasant laughter and the rushing of information. Then he was gone, disintegrating into the madness as his mind, body and soul became one with the gate.

"Nii-san!" cried Al, reaching out to where his brother had once been. There was a moment of darkness which could have lasted anything from one second to several days. When it cleared, Al found himself in a white void between two identical gate structures. There was someone else here with him, a pale and sickly looking thin child with long dark blonde hair which hung in waves down to his waist. The boy was naked and sat cross legged with his back to Al, staring at one of the gates as if transfixed.

"Hello?" called out Al cautiously. The boy turned to face him and Al felt a shock of recognition flow through him as he stared directly into the dark gold eyes of his body. His body smiled happily.

"I knew you'd come for me someday, Soul," it said, standing up and walking forwards.

"Yes. I promised Nii-san that we would become whole again," replied the armour, striding towards the skinny figure before him.

"Nii-san is dead now," whispered Body, sounding melancholy. "He shall be missed deeply, but he shall live on in us both. We have happy memories of his life and his personality."

"If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't be together again," said Soul. He sighed, remembering the last time he would see his brother, the small smile he wore, the sentimental goodbye.

"Let us become whole again, Soul," said Body, holding out his hands. "Let us become whole and live for Nii-san."

"Yes. For Nii-san…" The armoured soul reached out and held the hands of his body. Upon contact, the armour and human were enveloped in blinding blue-tinged light, orbs of energy flowing around and through them both, until the power of the light grew in intensity and made it impossible to see. Al blacked out and could remember no more.

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"Hey… hey kid… wake up."

Al could hear a female voice talking to him. He could feel someone shaking his shoulder.

_He could feel warm hands against his flesh, shaking him lightly. He could feel the coldness of the breeze on his bare skin, the hard grainy texture of the tarmac beneath him…_

He opened his eyes and raised himself shakily up onto his hands so he could see the person who had woken him. Kneeling down next to him was a middle aged blonde lady in a military uniform that he instantly recognised.

"Lieutenant Hawkeye?" he asked, staring at her in mild confusion. The sound of his voice was slightly different, lacking the echoing quality it had possessed while he was in the armour, but it was still essentially the same.

Hawkeye started slightly upon recognising the voice, releasing the boys shoulder. Looking closer at the youth before her, she noticed subtle similarities between him and Ed, in the shape of his face and the colour of his hair and eyes.

"Alphonse?" she asked. "Al, is that you?" The boy nodded. Then he remembered what had happened.

"Nii-san…" he whispered, biting his lower lip, tears coming to his eyes.

"Al, where is Edward?" asked Hawkeye kindly. It was then that Al noticed that there were numerous military personnel there, many of them with rifles strapped to their backs. Colonel Mustang was looking at a depressing sight at the end of the alley, staring down at it with a wan expression. Havoc stood next to him, taking notes on a report sheet and grimacing.

There was a lot of blood spread around the alley, but mostly concentrated in one spot in particular. The old armour lay slumped against one of the walls, unmoving and empty, a hollow shell once more. In front of it was a pile of bloodied clothes – a pair of trousers, boots, a black jacket, a red coat and a pocket watch, left abandoned next to the armour.

"Nii-san is gone," said Al, sitting upright. "Scar attacked us. Ed was mortally wounded and then he sacrificed himself for me. It was his dying wish. Nii-san is beyond the gate now." Silent tears rolled down Al's cheeks. He looked painfully thin and small, shivering at the cold wind that was blowing. Hawkeye draped a blanket over his naked form, keeping him warm and covering his shame at the same time.

"Nii-san returned me to my body," he croaked. "Now I must live on for Nii-san."

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Ed's funeral was quite a quiet affair. Roy and his subordinates were there, as were the Rockbell women and Al. An empty coffin was buried next to their mother's grave, a simple tombstone erected next to it, with a short epitaph containing his name and the years he lived through. It also let the world know that he was a caring son, brother and friend and that he would be missed. They paid their last respects to the dead alchemist, then everyone but Al left the grave to retreat to the Rockbell residence.

Al stood before the graves of his family for a long time. He had gained some weight over the last week and looked much healthier now. He had left his hair long, wearing it tied neatly back in a ponytail. Having no clothes of his own to wear, he was wearing some of Ed's things. The trousers were a little short on him, but the coat and shirts fitted him fine. He also had possession of Ed's pocket watch, which he refused to open as a sign of respect. He held it tightly in his left hand, squeezing the cold metal of his brother's only true possession for comfort and reassurance.

"Mum… Ed… I expect you are together now," he spoke to the graves. "I hope that you are happy wherever you are. One day I might be able to join you and then we'll be together again."

He paused to wipe away some of the moisture from his eyes, sniffing as he held back the majority of his tears.

"But I promised you I would live a happy life for you, for both of you. I'm living with Granny Pinako and Winry now. I'm going to get a job in one of the Risembool shops to earn some money to help them run their business. The Colonel offered me a place in the military but I refused it. He seemed disappointed but he understood my reasons. I'm not cut out for military life like you were Nii-san."

Al laughed through his tears, memories of all the times Ed had lost his cool with Roy running through his head.

"I miss you both every day. I'll visit often and lay flowers for you, and tell you both what I've been up to. I'm living for you now."

Al sighed and took one last look at the final resting place of his mother and brother before turning and walking slowly to the Rockbell residence. He smiled to himself as he returned to the house where he knew people would be waiting for his return. Ed would want him to be happy. Ed wouldn't want him mourning his passing any longer than was necessary. Ed's dying wish was for his brother to smile again, and smile he did.

_I have to be happy for Nii-san. After all, he lives in me now._

A/N: I hope you liked this one-shot. I think my ending was a bit weak, but that's personal opinion. It was a sleeping aid after all! Review if you wish, but please don't flame me. If you don't like my works, don't read them – simple as that! Hehe… Al said a naughty word…


End file.
